GNOME Shell is a desktop environment for Ubuntu that provides a sleek, modern interface. GNOME Shell is available as a package on Ubuntu and can be installed by following these steps:

  1. First, install the GNOME Shell package on your Ubuntu system. This package can be found in the repositories.
  2. Once the GNOME Shell package has been installed, you will need to add it to your system’s startup list. To do this, open up System Preferences and click on the " Startup Applications" tab. Then, add GNOME Shell to the list of applications that are started when you start your computer.
  3. Next, you will need to install some additional software that is required for using GNOME Shell. These software packages can be found in the repositories or can be downloaded from the GNOME website. The most common of these software packages is gnome-shell-extras, which can be installed by following these steps:
  4. First, install gnome-shell-extras from the repositories or from the GNOME website if you have not already done so. This software package contains additional files and directories that are needed for using GNOMEShell on Ubuntu systems.
  5. Next, open up Terminal and type sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gnome-shell-extras . If you have not already done so, you will need to create a new user account and enter their password when prompted for it. Once these steps have been completed,GNOMEShell should be available in your system’s Software Sources directory and should be enabled by default according to System Preferences->Startup Applications->GNOMEShell .

Give GNOME Shell a spin if you’re looking for a slick, new Linux desktop environment. It’s similar to Unity in some ways, but more flexible in others – GNOME Shell supports extensions, which can add missing features.

GNOME Shell is the default interface in GNOME 3, and it’s a clear break from GNOME 2. To try GNOME Shell without installing anything on your current system, use the Ubuntu GNOME Shell Remix live CD.

Installation

GNOME Shell is available in the Ubuntu Software Center, so you don’t have to do anything special to install it. Just search for and install the gnome-shell package

You can also install GNOME Shell from the terminal with the following command:

Logging In

To access GNOME Shell, sign out of your current desktop. From the login screen, click the little button next to your name to reveal the session options.

Select the GNOME option in the menu and log in with your password.

The Desktop

GNOME Shell’s desktop includes a minimal interface with just a top bar. By default, there’s no way to launch applications or view open windows without pulling up the Activities screen. Of course, the standard Alt-Tab keyboard shortcut works.

The items on the top bar work similarly to the ones in Unity. Extensions can also add their own options to this bar.

Unlike Unity, GNOME Shell doesn’t use a global menu bar. The menu bar stays in each application’s window. Of course, you can also disable the global menu bar in Unity.

Activities

Click the Activities button on the top bar to pull up the activities overview. You can also press the Windows (or Super) key on your keyboard or just move the mouse cursor to the top left corner of the screen, which functions as a “hot corner.”

The applications bar, known as the dash, only appears on the activities screen. You can also browse and search for applications here.

From the Windows tab, you can view your open windows. It only shows windows on the current workspace.

Drag and drop windows to move them between workspaces. You can also switch between workspaces with the Ctrl-Alt-Up/Down keyboard shortcuts, or use the Shift-Ctrl-Alt-Up/Down keyboard shortcuts to move the current window between workspaces.

Unity’s embrace of workspaces in the activities overview is a key difference from Unity. If you use workspaces, you may appreciate it – people that don’t use workspaces may dislike the importance placed on workspace window management.

GNOME Shell also differs from previous versions of GNOME by placing more of an emphasis on applications instead of just windows. Where each open window once took up a place on the GNOME taskbar, the activities overview now groups windows by application.

Extensions

GNOME Shell’s included extensions system allows you to customize it and add features that you miss from other desktops. The GNOME Shell extensions website hosts a variety of extensions, which you can install with just a few clicks.

For example, the Applications Menu extension adds a GNOME 2-style applications men to the top bar.

If you’re looking for a more traditional desktop, try the Cinnamon desktop or MATE, a fork of GNOME 2.